News

04Oct2016

Winter Preparation & Care for your Deck

By: SDS

With winter now in full swing, the average person is hiding away in the warmth of their homes and their decks are the furthest thing from their mind. For those fortunate enough have a maintenance free Duradek deck, follow these simple tips to ensure a safe winter and an enjoyable deck season next year!

Clean Off Your Deck

First thing to do when winterizing your deck is to clear away any items that will not be needed through the winter. Take away metal furniture or planters that can encourage the development of rust on your deck's surface. Remove any organic debris as soon as possible.

Clear The Snow

When cleaning the snow from your vinyl surfaced deck, be sure to only use a plastic shovel. Driving a metal shovel down through the snow and ice to your deck surface risks puncturing the vinyl and sacrificing your waterproof security.

Make It Safe

Though Duradek is a textured slip-proof surface, there can still be ice build up that poses a risk to those walking on the surface. Luckily, Duradek vinyl is strong and you can use a variety of snow and ice melting solutions on it without concern.

That being said, I'd like to take this moment to stress that if you choose to use kitty litter for non-slip traction, be sure to use the old-fashioned traditional kitty litter that is coarse and non-clumping. If you mistakenly use the fine-sand clumping cat litter, you will wind up with a heavy, muddy mess to clean up.

While the chemicals from de-icers do not damage the vinyl surface when applied, if a chemical film is left on the surface, direct sun can bake those chemicals into the vinyl which is harmful and will affect your deck's appearance. Make sure to clean your deck with Duradek cleaner and rinse off to get rid of that film before the summer sunshine returns!

That's all there is to it! Now you can rest assured that you can take all precautions available to keep your deck clear of ice and snow through the remaining winter months and look forward to the return of the warm weather to get back to really enjoying your deck again.

For more information on Duradek, or to purchase Duradek cleaner stop by Saskatoon Deck Shop!